Got a craving for kebabs? Check out “lamb skewer row.”

Located in Seoul’s Jayang-dong, near Konkuk University, the street got its nickname because it is lined with shops serving up the Chinese kebabs.

Called “yang rou chuan,” these spiced up skewers hail from the northwestern Chinese region, Xinjiang, and are the perfect antidote to a nippy day.

One taste of these cumin-studded kebabs will put to rest any doubts as to why this dish has found a serious niche for itself in Seoul.

In fact it is hard to imagine that there was a time when “lamb skewer row” did not exist. Gyungsung Lamb Skewer restaurant owner Lee Hak-beom, however, remembers such a time. 

“Back then, it was just me and a supermarket,” Lee recalled.

One of the first to set up shop in Jayang-dong, the Heilongjiang native originally catered to ethnic Koreans from China residing in the area when he opened in 2001.

Now, nine years later, Lee has two restaurants in the area and is flanked by restaurants, many of which dish out lamb.

In fact, there are so many establishments it is hard to know where to begin.

The more adventurous can pop into their place of choice, but those looking for a little guidance can try Gyungsung’s and Songhwa’s kebabs.

Songhwa Lamb Skewer restaurant, in particular, offers up truly luscious kebabs. Seasoned with a cumin-and-red pepper-flecked spice rub, their yang rou chuan are unusually juicy.

Just order up several portions (10 skewers per person), and start grilling them over a bed of charcoal. The key to getting great kebabs is to swivel and turn them repeatedly, so that the meat doesn’t burn.

When the lamb is cooked through, rest your skewers on a second tier, located high above the grill and start eating.

Dip each moist, molten, crisp bit of flavorful meat into a dish full of the same spice rub (a mixture of cumin, sesame seeds, and red pepper powder) and then wash it down with frothy, refreshing Tsingtao beer. 

The fragrant and piquant seasonings bring out the rich flavors of the meat, while masking any potential gaminess. The beer cuts the grease.

For those who prefer their lamb nude or lightly spiced, try Gyungsung.

The veteran lamb joint serves up shoulder and leg meat grilled to near perfection as well as the standard kebab (but more moderately seasoned). If you’re lucky, the generous owner might just hand out some complementary lamb belly skewers, which are prized for their chewy texture and nutty flavor.

Another Gyungsung specialty is the corn noodle soup that accompanies yang rou chuan. Gyungsung’s version has been modified to suit Korean palates. 

The result is a fiery bowl of chili-seasoned broth, only mildly toned down by the thick tangle of chewy, thin yellow noodles that form the base of the dish.

Aside from lamb, both Songhwa and Gyungsung serve quail, and for those who want to try something truly unusual, Songhwa also sells bull’s penis a.k.a. “so-sing.”

“Usually, only the men order it,” said Songhwa owner Kim Young-ok.

To get to “lamb skewer row” go to Konkuk University Subway Station Line 2, Exit 6 and walk straight for approximately three blocks, until you reach an intersection that has yellow traffic lights and a sign that reads, “Noyu-gil.”

To get to Gyungsung and Songhwa turn right. Gyungsung is about one block down and has a blue and white sign and no red lanterns in front. There are two Gyungsung restaurants, one will be to your right, and the other will be located diagonally across from the one on the right, to your left. Songhwa is about one more block down from Gyungsung to your left, and has a red sign with lamb pictures on it and red lanterns out front.

Songhwa Lamb Skewer restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. For more information call (02) 462-7826. Lamb skewers cost 9,000 won per single portion (10 skewers), and there is a minimum order of two portions. Tsingtao costs 4,000 won per bottle.

Gyungsung Lamb Skewer restaurant on the left is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. daily, the one on the right opens at 5 p.m. For more information call (02) 467-6880. Lamb skewers cost 9,000 won per single portion (10 skewers), with a minimum order of two portions. Corn noodle soup costs 5,000 won. Tsingtao costs 4,000 won per bottle.

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)